NBHA

NBHA North Central Reg Championship

NBHA North Central Championship

Wild Covey Heatwave named Champion with Treeline Sandra Runner Up

By Douglas P. Meyer

The National Bird Hunters Association North Central Regional Championship was held the third weekend in January under snowy and cold conditions. The Mid South Bird Hunters Club led by Rick Stanford, Keith Lowry, Dan Crunk and a contingent of other Illinois walking trialers did a great job of hosting the event. A nice draw of 30 competitive shooting dogs plus twelve in the Derby stake met the challenge of running in a few inches of snow and frosty temperatures on the tested Rend Lake trial grounds. Plenty of good flying released quail were planted and quite a few leftover pheasants from recent Wildlife Department managed hunts gave the dogs plenty of challenges. Cover was well groomed with standing milo feed strips and the course providing good edges for the dogs to show. Rend Lake is blessed with a good horse barn, a welcoming clubhouse used by horseback and walking bird dog trialers as well as the local and regional beagle clubs for rabbit trials. Jae Crunk and Georgie Casey prepared hot lunches that were a welcome sight after a cold morning’s running. Georgie outdid herself with chicken and homemade dumplings on Saturday which were ready for us even though she had to run two of her Derbies that morning. Brian Casey is a lucky guy! Purina Rep Terry Trzcinski was on hand distributing Pro Plan samples and dog biscuits along with hats to all participants. We greatly appreciate the financial support of Purina, Tri Tronics who provided an e-collar and Christie’s Enterprises supplying gift certificates for our NBHA championships.

Judging this renewal were Jim Lawless who lives just west of the Rend Lake grounds and Dennis Sneed from nearby Whittington. Jim is a successful handler of shooting dogs including Champion Lawless Liz while Dennis Sneed favors All Age competition. Interestingly, the Sneed family home was located on the Rend Lake grounds prior to the lake being impounded when Dennis was 16. The shooting dog course passed next to an old horse drawn rake overgrown in volunteer trees marking the spot where Dennis grew up. Both judges were attentive to the handlers and mindful of the dogs under the cold riding conditions. Dan Crunk followed the course with his Kubota dog wagon to assist handlers and to serve as a gallery vehicle for those hardy enough to ride. Brad Hargis and others took turns ferrying dogs to the line for the over and back hour course.

The Winners and Others

Wild Covey Heatwave, four year old pointer male has been on a roll for owners Jason Kemna and Tony King. If I have my count correct, this winning son of Lester’s Snowatch has accumulated 4 championships and at least two runners up at four and a half years old. King bred the litter and Heatwave was acquired as a weanling puppy by Gailen Cooper who started him in the field. Later, Ryan Westfall looked at him as a possible all age prospect and broke him on birds very early. Heatwave won the NBHA National Amateur Championship two years ago and last spring took the Husker Bird Dog Club’s Shooting Dog Classic with a great performance.

Treeline Sandra is an 18 month old white and orange Derby female who is fast and forward on the ground. She must have a good nose as she manages to smell ‘em while flying down the edges. Dan and his wife Mary recently relocated to northern Iowa when Mary took the job as postmaster in New Hampton. With Sandra also taking runner up behind Heatwave at the Region 5 Walking Shooting Dog Championship the previous weekend, it seems like the great plains are suiting this young female from Michigan!

Others impressing included Mississippi Dan, pointer male for Danny Martin of Boonville, MO with a seven find effort in the very first brace. This performance was no doubt carried Friday and Saturday before being eclipsed by the eventual winners. On Line Handsome Jack owned by Ted Ellis and handled by Doug Hartke put in a good effort with four quality finds and a good race Sunday morning. The veteran champion pointer female Alabama Dixie Go for J.D. Wirth had a five find effort, a back and finished her hour. Dixie was braced with Wild Covey Heatwave. T’s Dancing Queen had a solid effort on Friday for Phil Tiller ending with two finds and a nice race. There was a situation where Phil consulted with the judges and took a back that might have resulted in a third find.
The Running

Mississippi Dan (D. Martin) with Everbreeze Whitey (R. Hamp). A couple inches of snow on the ground and temperatures around 15 degrees for breakaway at 12:15PM. Those riding were bundled but fortunately the wind was very light. Whitey scored first at 8 with Judge Jim Lawless off his horse to help spy the birds. Whitey moved a little forward prior to flush on this find but was steady at the shot. Dan was handling favorably early and had a solid find at 11. At 16, Dan was stylish again along a fencerow with Martin unable to locate the birds initially. Relocation was quick and Martin sent a quail flying past the stationary Dan with all in order. At 30, Whitey was again pointing but he self relocated during flush to end his day. At 32 and 35, Dan recorded additional finds marking flight slightly at 35. Returning to the front from a nice cast at 40, Dan pointed in a thick corner with the bird easily lifted by Martin. At 48, Dan scored again along a thick fencerow with all in order. Dan continued to the front and was found after time on point facing a brushpile. Handler flushed and shot finishing the hour with Dan recording a total of seven solid finds.
Big Water (J. Wirths) with Ramey’s Barwater Bud (L. Holman). Big was moving nicely and found on point at 9 facing downed brush. He marked flight here as handler Jim Wirths lifted the bird. Both dogs were in and out of sight making good forward casts thru the first half. Both were seen down a long fencerow and when we arrived at the end, Bud was seen standing on the outside facing the wind. Big was soon spied moving thru this area and flushed a bird past Bud resulting in a wreck for both dogs at 34. The sun had been shining much of this brace as we reached a temperature of 22 degrees.
T’s Dancing Queen (P. Tiller) with King Arthur’s Highrise (D. Draffen). After a short deadhead to start the third brace, we began from the end of course one towards the clubhouse. Highrise scored first at 18 along a fencerow with all OK at flush and shot At 28, Highrise stood again with Queen backing – both steady for the quail’s exit. At 34, both dogs were found pointed ahead with Phil Tiller electing to accept a back after consulting with the judges. At 36, Queen scored along fencerow facing a giant oak tree and was steady for the quail’s quick exit. This seemed to inspire Queen and her casts became stronger. At 52 after a nice cast up a line, she stood high and tight for our lengthy walk to her find. Both dogs finished ahead on opposite sides of the course bringing a nice brace to an end. The thermometer stood at a balmy 17 degrees as the brace ended under cloudy skies.
Brouillett’s Creek Pat (D. Davis) with Sawbryr Addy (G. Reed) These two setters were cast off Saturday morning into cool temperatures around 17 degrees. We had a little stronger breeze that was southerly. Addy was gone off breakaway for an extended period and almost counted out before showing at the front. At 26, she had an honest stop to flush on a hen pheasant with all in order for the shot. At 30, Addy had a find in fencerow with everything OK and then failed a back at 40 to end her day. Pat scored at 32 in fencerow opposite Addy’s find at 30. She stood for both her own flush and shot along with the gunfire from the adjacent find. A find at 40 with bracemate cruising thru the cover between the dog and bird was handled with good composure. Pat scored a final time at 50 with adequate style but not as crisp as the previous work. His finish was to the front but not reaching.
Thornhill’s Fiddlin Addition (L. Langin) with Ike’s Redemption (R. Eichelberger). Clouds persisted and it was cold in areas exposed to the breeze. Addition scored at 7 along a fencerow corner with all in order although the handler was a little noisy. At 12, Redemption stood a hen pheasant that was buried up under snow in a fencerow making a challenging flush for Ryan Eichelberger. After this find, Redemption seemed to shorten and bird hun the rest of the brace ending with two unproductives later. Addition meanwhile stood handsomely at 17 but flush and relocation went for naught. Finds at 39, 54 and 59 were stylish but lots of whoaing at flush and shot detracted. Addition’s race had been forward and solid throughout.
Island Grove Hurricane Ike (J. Sieber) with Greypointe Gladiador (D. Meyer). Ike was seen once or twice and then AWOL early with the tracker requested before the half. Gladiador was fast and forward hitting good places in sync with handler. At 18, Gladiador stood along fencerow high on the front end but tail showing some injury. A rabbit was sent from the fencerow and we moved on. At 37, Gladiador cruised up a long fencerow to establish point near the end. It was five minute walk to this find and the tail problem recurred. After the bobwhite were flushed, Meyer picked up ending the brace.
Island Grove Sinbad (D. Hartke) with Shurfire Super Sport (R. Brown). We had some sun shine after lunch and warmer temperatures on the ground. It was pleasant riding and walking. Sport looked good early staying in sync with handler and moving smartly to the front. Sinbad was out of pocket from the first corner and the tracker requested before the half. At 23, Sport wheeled at a fencerow corner with Ray Brown flushing while Jim Lawless was off his horse looking over the cover also. A relocation was needed and Sport executed this quickly to pin a pair of quail trying to sneak thru the brush. Some nice casts followed and Sport stood facing into a fencerow at 33 with all in order for flush and shot. More good footwork resulted in birds pointed at 42 and the feeling that something was getting done. Unfortunately, Sport was lost at the end and the tracker required when the grace period expired.
Dale Creek Peanut (E. Alfaro) with Shadow’s Rockin Robin (J.D. Wirth). Rockin Robin was seen forward on some good swings early and then was lost. Robin Wirth eventually caught up with the dog and then her horse escaped after dismounting. There was some anxious moments when the horse came by the gallery sans rider heading for the barn but all was turned out OK. Peanut was making good swings thru the edges with finds at 35 and 56 showing her manners. An unproductive at 50 was also recorded but it was a good effort for Peanut and Ed Alfaro in their first championship try.
Whipporwill Wild Kate (Hartke) with Brouillet’s Creek Sugar (Davis). Sugar had a find at 10 but moved after flush to end her day early. Hartke was piloting Kate thru the objectives and trying to put her on birds. At 34, he tossed in the towel as he sensed he wasn’t moving anything.
Rowdy’s Rambling Jake (JD Wirth) with On Line’s Handsome Jack (Hartke). Sunday brought the threat of weather moving in and light snow. I took the liberty of heading back to Kansas and appreciate Keith Lowry and Dan Crunk keeping notes on the remaining braces. Jake was going thru the country but had two unproductives to end his day. Jack made a nice bid with a good race and four broke finds.
Treeline’s Sandra (D. McClellan) with Honky Tonk Hotshot (B. Hargis). Sandra was found on point by scout Jason Kemna from her breakaway cast. She was high and tight for arrival of handler and the shot. She had three more finds and recorded an honest stop to flush. Hot Shot meanwhile was lost during the brace.
Labur’s Gone Country (Hartke) with Zueck’s Cracker Jack (Zueck). Gone Country recorded five finds but was picked up on his last. Cracker Jack also had bird work and was later picked up near the end.
Alabama Dixie Go (JD Wirth) with Wild Covey Heatwave (T. King). Dixie had a solid effort with five finds and a back. Heatwave meanwhile put on a show with four nice finds where he was found on point on each time at the front. Coupled with a quality race and excellent manners, he was what the judges wanted to see.
Goshen’s Bull Market (P. Hansen) with Black Powder Howie (G. Casey). Bull Market was making a bid with three nice finds before he was counted out at forty after an extended absence. Howie backed twice and also tallied two finds but Geogie Casey lifted him at 30 minutes.
Hawk’s Katie Dot (Reed) with Judy’s Elhew Tom (Hargis). Dot scored twice on birds and finished the hour. Brad Hargis asked for the tracker at 20 for Tom.

Derby Stake

The Derby course was located on the north part of the grounds allowing the two stakes to be run concurrently. Judges Keith Lowry of Altamont, IL and Tony King of Thompson, MO named El Lancelot, pointer male first for Danny Martin after a forward reaching race punctuated with two good finds. Frankenstein, pointer female handled by Paul Hansen claimed second with three finds and a smooth handling race. Jim Wirths handled Lancelot’s Stonehenge to third for owner’s Danny Martin and D. Hoyle Eaton. Stonehenge had a big finish and a single piece of bird work. Thanks to all who attended, entered dogs and helped put on this quality event.

Go Back